


Happy Birthday, Asahi!

by Shiro_Kabocha



Series: Western Valley, Eastern Peak [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Anal Sex, Bath Sex, Birthday Sex, Fluff and Smut, Light Angst, M/M, New Year's Eve, Oral Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:18:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22050145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shiro_Kabocha/pseuds/Shiro_Kabocha
Summary: Since Asahi planned the greatest birthday ever for Noya, Noya now feels pressured to do the same.  But the only thing Noya knows is that Asahi doesn't like celebrating his birthday along with typical new year traditions--so what's a guy to do?
Relationships: Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu
Series: Western Valley, Eastern Peak [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1512812
Comments: 22
Kudos: 234





	Happy Birthday, Asahi!

**Author's Note:**

> This is best read in order of my "Western Valley, Eastern Peak" series, but can also be enjoyed without reading the other stories first.

One hour into the longest train ride of Noya's life and he was still awake. Normally he crashed out in any vehicle as soon as it started moving--hell, he could even sleep while Ryu's sister was driving--but for this trip, he just couldn't keep still. When he was sitting, his foot bounced constantly and when he tried to get that under control, he'd started rocking and when he tried to stop doing that, he'd had to get up and pace in the aisle. What was this uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach? It was like he'd swallowed a hedgehog and it just kept turning circles in his belly, making him itchy, crazy and irritable.

"Do you want to sit down?" Asahi asked, concern in his expressive brown eyes.

"Nah." Noya stood over the empty aisle seat next to Asahi, bouncing on the balls of his toes.

Asahi peered up at him for a moment, then tried a small smile. "Do you want to tell me where we're going yet?"

"Ha! Nice try, but no way," Noya returned. He bounced once more, then resumed pacing the aisle, the motion of the train making him sway as he walked.

He wasn't _nervous_ , not him, not Nishinoya Yuu, Guardian Deity of the Karasuno volleyball team. Nerves were for other people. And Asahi. They weren't for Noya.

Except.

Something told him that the hedgehog in his stomach was named "Nervous."

It was all Asahi's fault, really, but Noya would never say that out loud. Back in October, Asahi had planned the most perfect birthday celebration for him, with fun and friends and even a remote little beach house where they first spent the night together. It had been perfect. So then, of course, Noya had to come up with something equally as perfect to celebrate Asahi's birthday.

The only problem was that Asahi's birthday was January first, the first day of the new year, and as such, his parents had always rolled his birthday celebration into their new year's traditions. The only thing Asahi had said about his birthday was that he was tired of the usual new year's traditions, like soba noodles and shrine visits. But...what else was there to do on new year's?

Noya had been stressed enough to consult the other seniors in the hopes that they might offer a solution, but Daichi had only said that Asahi would love whatever Noya did--which hadn't been very helpful at all. Suga had reminded him to think of what Asahi would want, not what Noya would want, which was only moderately more helpful. Asahi tended to prefer small and intimate settings, rather than large and loud ones, so that put out throwing a party with the team to ring in the new year, which had been Noya's first plan. With only a week left before Asahi's birthday, in a fit of desperation, Noya went to Kiyoko and asked her what she thought he should do. She'd seemed amused at first, then thoughtful.

"Why not try to find different new year’s traditions? You can't get away from new year's entirely, but if it's just the same thing year after year, of course it would get boring. If you can, plan a trip and go somewhere new. Try and find something Asahi would enjoy."

A trip sounded like an amazing idea--nothing was better than getting to spend a whole night alone with Asahi. Even better, they would be together for their first New Year’s Eve and Noya was definitely holding Asahi to at least one new year's tradition: a kiss at midnight. He didn't think Asahi would object; it would be the first time ever either of them would be kissing anyone at midnight, so it wasn't like Asahi could be sick of that tradition.

It had been a bit difficult, finding a place to take Asahi on a trip at the last minute and on limited funds, but Noya had been sure he'd picked right. All the way up until the moment he'd finalized the plans and paid for everything. Then he'd been plagued by doubts.

What if he'd picked wrong? What if Asahi hated it? What if Noya hated it? What if he ruined Asahi's birthday? No matter what, they'd be stuck together until their train ride home the next day, even if they were both miserable and the whole idea was terrible.

Outwardly, Noya knew that even if Asahi actually really did hate the plans he'd made for his birthday, Asahi would never say anything about it. He would smile and say thank you and act like he was happy anyway. But rather than a comfort, this made the little hedgehog in Noya's stomach curl up in a ball and do spins. He'd rather Asahi just be straight with him and admit when something bugged him, but that just wasn't the type of person Asahi was. So then, it was all on Noya to make sure Asahi didn't have to lie and just make this the best birthday ever.

Oops. Noya nearly lost his balance while pacing. It felt like the hedgehog had just thrown up.

He flopped back into his seat beside Asahi, irritated by the fact that he was irritated. Couldn't they just get there already so Asahi could tell him if his idea was dumb or not? Noya let his head fall back against the seat and shut his eyes, wishing he could fall asleep and just skip all the waiting. Waiting was the worst part.

Just when Noya thought he might jump up and start pacing again, he felt a warm, broad hand slip into his. He cracked an eye open to look over at Asahi. Asahi was staring out the window, smiling cheerfully as he watched the scenery fly past. His hair was adorably mussed from the knitted cap he'd worn to the train station and there was a coffee stain on his shirt that had happened when Noya had leapt to hug him. He wanted to keep their destination a surprise until they arrived, so Asahi had no idea where they were going, aside from the destination on their train tickets, yet he just sat there contentedly, his fingers threaded through Noya's, his breath fogging the window.

Noya smiled and let his eyes fall shut again. Asahi was the greatest guy ever. There was no way Noya was going to screw up this birthday.

When the train finally stopped nearly an hour later, Noya summoned a ride from his phone while Asahi pulled their overnight bags down from the rack above their seats. Once the car was on its way, Noya had to fight Asahi in order to carry his own bag, because his boyfriend was needlessly chivalrous. By the time he got his duffel away from Asahi, their car arrived with the destination already entered into the GPS, so Asahi still wouldn't know where they were going.

"You should let me pay for the ride," Asahi insisted once they were on their way.

"Nope, can't, already paid through the app," Noya replied with a teasing grin.

Asahi frowned. "Then let me get dinner tonight."

"Dinner's part of the thing."

"What is the thing?"

"Nope! You'll see when we get there!" Noya smirked triumphantly, but his tiny stomach-hedgehog was still circling around and around in his stomach. Ugh, how did anyone go through life feeling nervous all the time?! It was a terrible feeling. Was this what Asahi felt like all day every day? Noya hoped not; he wouldn't wish this feeling on anyone, but especially not on his boyfriend.

The car ride wasn't especially long, but Noya was certain the shitty little hedgehog living his stomach was gnawing on him from the inside out when they finally arrived. Asahi's jaw dropped before he even got the car door open, his eyes going wide as he looked from where they were back to Noya.

"A hot springs resort?"

Noya tapped the car ride app, adding a tip for the driver before looking up to meet Asahi's eyes. Would he know if Asahi's enthusiasm was faked or not? Nothing would be worse than Asahi pretending to be happy just for Noya's sake. "Is it alright?"

Asahi looked choked up for a moment, his eyes shining as he cleared his throat with difficulty. "It's perfect, Yuu."

It sounded sincere, but Noya wasn't completely sure. Honestly, a trip to an onsen, no matter how nice, was still just a bath with other guys. How different could it be from their team locker room? Still, it had been all Noya could find on short notice and the pictures had looked nice and if nothing else at all, at least they were sharing a room for the night.

Asahi couldn't stop looking around as Noya confirmed their reservation at the desk and got their room key. The smell of sulfur and natural salts and wet stone pervaded the air and even Noya had to admit, the place looked really classy. The lobby was mostly decorative bamboo and natural-looking rock features with potted plants adding splashes of color. The resort offered private baths and massages and all types of services, but Noya's budget had really only covered the one night plus a meal. A new fear set in as he watched Asahi gazing around in wonder: What if Asahi was disappointed they'd come all this way just to take a bath and eat dinner? What if all this was just setting him up for disappointment?

Their room was plain, but rich with warm colors, traditional paper screens and a separate room with a kotatsu in front of a window that looked out over a garden that was probably pretty in the summer, or when covered in snow, but right now it just looked dead. Noya swallowed heavily as he dropped his bag to the floor before kicking out of his shoes. This wasn't shaping up at all to be what he'd expected.

Before he could take a step into the room, Asahi caught his hand and tugged him back. Noya looked up into shining eyes just before the ace curled around him, pulling him into a kiss that involved those big, warm hands sliding inside his coat and rubbing his back. Noya felt just a bit of his tension ease as he nipped at Asahi's lower lip--they didn't have to even leave the room to have fun, after all. Maybe they'd just spend New Year’s Eve in bed with an encore performance the following morning in honor of Asahi's birthday. That sounded alright to Noya.

Asahi broke the kiss with a smile, his thumb tracing the line of Noya's jaw. "This is a wonderful surprise. Thank you for planning this, Yuu."

Noya still got a little thrill whenever Asashi used his given name. He preferred Noya in almost all situations, but when Asahi said "Yuu" in private, it made him want to tear the ace's clothes off and throw him down on the floor. In fact, he might do just that... Why not? It was their room.

"It's not all that much," Noya said honestly, hands working to take off Asahi's scarf and winter coat. "Actually, this time of year is a little slow, so I got a discount. I guess there's a lake nearby that does a big new year's thing and all the hotels there get booked out or something, so this place is cheap on New Year’s Eve."

"What should we do first?" Asahi asked, divesting Noya of his coat. Noya was about to suggest something dirty when Asahi turned and hung both of their coats near the door, then stepped into the room, picking up a cardboard advertisement of the resort's services as he stepped into the room. Noya felt Nervous spin around in his stomach some more as Asahi perused the list. "You said we'd be having dinner here, right? What time will that be? Can we go down to the baths now, or should we do it later?"

Noya swallowed. The baths and dinner were all included, but if Asahi wanted anything else...

"Look, they have private tubs!" Asahi said, blushing cheerfully as he held the flyer up. "Do you want to? No, it's probably embarrassing. Unless..."

He's gonna think I'm being cheap on his birthday! Noya thought, panicking, although that wasn't the word he would have used to describe it. It was more like that moment of doubt when he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to save a blocked spike.

And what do I do when I don't know if I can save it? Noya asked himself. I dive anyway.

He nodded to himself and stepped up to Asahi, placing his hand on the flyer and gently pushing it aside as he stood up on his toes, other hand gripping the front of Asahi's shirt to pull him down for a kiss. Asahi smiled and bent willingly, one arm wrapping around Noya's waist to pull him closer.

"I thought since I finally have you all to myself, I'd take my time and enjoy it," Noya said, grinning up at Asahi. "I've got a few gifts to give you, if you catch my drift."

It was adorable how Asahi still blushed at any reference to sex, no matter how minor. They hadn't had many chances for sex yet--in fact, Noya could count on one hand how many times they'd done it. He was hoping that after tonight, they could double that number. He was pretty sure Asahi was up to the challenge.

Asahi bent and kissed Noya again, thoroughly and with wandering hands. But then, frustratingly, he straightened and glanced back at the advertisement again. "This says dinner begins at six. That gives us enough time to see if they have a private bath available. Or would you prefer a massage instead?"

"Not a massage," Noya said a little too quickly, earning a concerned frown from Asahi. "Ah, I mean...I got pretty bruised up in our last practice match. Feeling a little tender."

"Ah." Asahi nodded. "A bath would be better, then."

"But we can just go down to the--" Noya was trying to suggest the public bath outside, but Asahi had already grabbed the old fashioned phone from the cradle and called down to the reception desk, asking about the private bath rooms. Noya had to admit, they did look nice: Cozy and steamy with just enough light to see by. They were also on the pricey side--he knew because he'd checked.

Well, it's not like I can object, Noya thought as Asahi requested that the charge be applied to the room. Might as well get my money's worth out of it.

"They'll have a room ready in an hour," Asahi said, smiling as he set the phone back down. "There's a marked trail that circles the resort. Want to go for a walk while we wait?"

Noya put on a smile: at least walking was free. "Yeah! Let's go."

It was cold enough that they needed their scarves, hats and jackets to go back outside. The trail within the resort was pretty, with little signs that told pieces of the onsen's history, or explained certain types of plants and trees. There was a koi pond that was kept just warm enough to keep the fish alive and Asahi insisted on throwing bits of food to the fish, grinning like a little kid. Noya couldn't help but smile. Yeah, he really loved that big goofball.

When they started walking again, Asahi took Noya's gloved hand in his own, smiling as they continued along the trail. They didn't often hold hands--Noya didn't like how their height difference almost made it look like he was walking with an older brother, or worse, a parent--but out here, alone, it was kind of nice. It helped Noya match Asahi's pace instead of hurrying on ahead as he often did. Not intentionally, it was just, if there was somewhere worth going, it was worth getting there quicker. Asahi moved at a different pace: A stop and smell the roses sort of pace. It used to drive Noya crazy, but he'd learned to love it. After all, taking longer to get somewhere meant spending more time with Asahi.

"This is really great," Asahi said, his breath puffs of steam in the winter air. "You didn't have to do all of this just for me."

"Yeah, well, you went out of your way for my birthday, too." No, that wasn't the right thing to say. "And I thought it would be really nice to actually sleep together again." No, that wasn't right either! It actually sounded selfish. What was going on with him today? "I mean, I guess I hope you really like it here. I've never been here before so it...it might be lame, I don't know."

Asahi gave him a look out of the corner of his eye. Noya couldn't read his face. Was he pretending to like this trip? Or was he actually enjoying himself? "Nothing could be lame with you, Noya."

When they finished their walk around the resort, they returned to their room and changed into the resort's robes, used for visiting the baths. Noya, of course, was distracted by watching Asahi change. Sure, he'd seen Asahi take his clothes off a million times in locker rooms from here to Tokyo, but he usually at least tried not to stare openly. Here, alone, he felt like he was allowed. Besides, Asahi's blush was too precious not to leer at. Taking an extra minute to secure his bun higher than usual up on his head, Asahi said they should probably get going or else they would lose time off their hour for the private bath.

A bath attendant showed them to their room and indicated where they could leave their robes and where the towels were located. There was also a pitcher of ice water in case the bath and steam made them dizzy. After a warning that the water was very hot, the attendant excused himself, giving Asahi and Noya their privacy. Noya cast his robe off quickly, hopping across the cool floor towards the tub before pausing and looking back. Asahi still stood in the doorway, holding the front of his robe as if he were shy.

"What are you doing?" Noya asked, his hands on the low ring of stones that encircled the artificial hot spring. "Weren't you the one who wanted a private bath?"

"Y-yes." Noya saw the ball of Asahi's throat bob as he swallowed. "But, we, we've never done...this before." He waved his hand at the bath. "And you're--you're--"

"Naked?" Noya swung his hips for emphasis. "Please don't tell me you slipped a bathing suit on while I wasn't looking. You're supposed to be naked. Hurry up and get in! It's cold."

Asahi only blushed, swallowing again as he glanced away. "Could you--would you--Um, please--"

Noya frowned in confusion, then barked a laugh. "Are you embarrassed, Asahi? Need me to look away?"

"Yes, please." If Asahi's face turned any more red, Noya would have to worry about him passing out. So even though he'd rather watch Asahi disrobe, he turned away and stepped into the bath, hissing as the hot water met his skin. The stones of the tub were carved into the shape of seats beneath the water and Noya scooted around the edge of the tub until he found one he liked. He leaned his head back against the decorative stones and closed his eyes, waiting for Asahi to join him in the water.

He heard movement only distantly, then the scrape of skin on stone. He opened his eyes when he heard Asahi gasp, getting a good view of toned calves and thighs before Asahi plunged into the water, sinking about to his midsection. He gave Noya a shy smile and settled into a scooped-out hollow just across from him.

"That wasn't so bad, right?" Noya asked, teasing. "You know, you can't be that shy when we go to the public baths."

"It's different in the public baths," Asahi insisted. "There's other people there. Here it's just...us."

"Why does that make you nervous?" Noya asked, sincerely confused. "We've been naked before, taken showers together before, hell, we've even had sex, so--"

"It's just...different," Asahi insisted. Then, with his cheeks pink either from the heat or from embarrassment, he reached across the tub and took Noya's hand. "It's different because ever since I saw we were staying at an onsen, I wanted to do this."

Asahi tugged gently, towing Noya across the bath and into his lap. Noya reveled in the feel of Asahi's rough hands on his heat-tender skin, exploring bravely out of sight beneath the water. Noya put one hand around the back of Asahi's neck, pulling him down into a kiss. His other hand explored the hard muscle of Asahi's shoulder, chest and bicep. He ran his nails lightly down Asahi's back, earning a shivery moan in response. He grinned into the kiss, intending to do it again, when Asahi suddenly pushed off the wall of the bath and kicked them to the other side, pinning Noya's back against the side. Wet fingers tracked through Noya's hair, tipping his head back to deepen the hungry kiss. Noya's hips bucked unconsciously before he wrapped his legs around Asahi's waist, arms twined around the back of Asahi's neck.

Fuck me, Noya thought, dizzy from the heat and the kisses. If I had known a private bath would be like this, I would have sprung for it right from the start.

Asahi's general nature, even after dating for months and even after a few clumsy nights in bed, was still hesitant and shy. It was rare that he initiated anything more than a quick kiss, even when they were alone. It was usually Noya doing all the initiating, although Asahi was always quick to reciprocate. This was different. This was exciting. Daring, even. Noya began wondering if Asahi would be like this in any bath, or if it had to be at a onsen specifically. Maybe he could find a reason to visit an onsen regularly...he could say it was could for his bruises from volleyball. That was believable, right?

All rational thought fled as Asahi's broad hands encircled Noya's narrow waist, pulled their bodies flush against each other, then dragged Noya's body against his. Noya's erection was caught between his own stomach and Asahi's abs and his hips automatically leapt forward, looking for more pressure. As he was pressed down and down, he felt Asahi's member slide against his ass. The angle was no good for penetration, but feeling it was exciting anyway, especially as it rubbed teasingly at the cleft between his cheeks. A loud groan tore itself from Noya's throat. He wanted more! He tried pushing away from the wall to turn the tables on Asahi, but to both his surprise and--dare he say it, arousal--Asahi refused to be moved, an almost darkness to his shy smile as he rocked against Noya, keeping him trapped between his body and the wall of the bath.

"If you're gonna do something, you should do it," Noya said, panting. "We only have an hour here, you know."

"When I want to, I will." Noya cried out as teeth teased the edge of his ear. "It's my birthday, isn't it?"

Fuck, but Noya almost came. He felt it in the coiling of his stomach, the clench of his jaw, the sudden jerk of his hips. If Asahi ever learned to talk dirty, it'd be all over for Noya--he'd never see Asahi as his sweet senpai and teammate ever again. But on the other hand, it'd make their sex life that much hotter.

Asahi alternated between kissing Noya's neck and shoulders as he ground their bodies together beneath the water. Noya wasn't helpless, exactly, but he was content to let Asahi take the lead. If bath sex got Asahi fired up, who was Noya to complain? The only thing Noya was about to complain about was being kept on the edge for so long. He was about to suggest that Asahi just let him lay off the easy one so they could go longer for round two, but the steam in the room suddenly grew thicker and Noya's vision blurred as his breath started to come in sharp gasps.

"Yuu?" Asahi floated backwards, his hands still on Noya's hips. "Yuu, are you alright?"

Noya was dizzy, swimming through steam. He felt Asahi's hands tighten around his waist and suddenly he felt like he was flying, cold air wrapping around his angry, red skin. His vision went dark and he pitched forward, but Asahi was there to catch him.

"Breathe. Just breathe."

That seemed easy enough to do. Gradually Noya's vision cleared and he realized he was sitting on the edge of the bath, his legs submerged on either side of Asahi who stood between them, holding Noya up against his body. He swallowed. Looking up made him dizzy.

"Wuh-what--"

"The water's too hot for you," Asahi said, sounding apologetic. "I should have caught it sooner and let you out. I'm sorry, Yuu."

"Didn't want to get out," Noya replied, his throat parched. "Was having a good time."

Noya felt the chuckle rumble through Asahi's chest. "Me too. Are you feeling better? Can you sit up on your own?"

"Yeah, yeah." Noya pushed Asahi away, proving he could sit upright on his own. "Just give me a minute, then we'll get back to doing that." He pointed at Asahi's dick, visible above the waterline, making his boyfriend blush. "Guess I'm more used to ice baths than hot springs, huh?"

Asahi shivered, backing slowly away from Noya, watching him critically before stepping over the low wall of the bath and crossing to the pitcher of cool water the attendant had left. He poured a cup for himself, gulped it quickly, then returned to the bath with a cup for Noya. "I'll never understand you can put up with those ice baths after games. Just the thought of sitting in ice makes me want to run away."

Noya chuckled before taking a long drink of the cool water. He felt better almost immediately. "It helps take the color out of bruises," Noya explained. "And it's only cold for like a second. After that, I'm numb and can't feel anything."

Asahi shivered again, sinking into the bath up to his neck. "You take so much punishment for the team," he said, voice just a little awed.

"Someone's gotta do it," Noya said with a shrug. "And I'm good at it, so that makes it fun. And speaking of fun." He set the empty cup aside and slid back into the water. "Where were we?"

Noya pushed Asahi back into one of the carved seats and straddled his lap, rubbing his nose along the scruff on Asahi's chin before kissing him, tongue thrusting, teeth teasing. Asahi's hands circled Noya's waist again, pulling them against each other, then rolling his hips up to meet Noya's. They'd both lost a little passion during the brief time-out, but it came back quickly enough. Noya trailed sloppy kisses down Asahi's neck, making the big ace gasp and moan. While Asahi was distracted, Noya cupped one hand over the swell of a pectoral before ducking his head to take a nipple in his teeth. He pinched and nipped at the same time, making Asahi buck wildly, sending waves surging around the tub. Noya teased the hard, little nub with his tongue, scraping it against his teeth, earning a low, guttural groan from Asahi. He could feel Asahi's erection against his ass again and he ground back against it, trying to get Asahi worked up enough to hurry up and just take him. While Noya generally preferred to be in control of their pace during sex, he also harbored just the tiniest wish that one day, Asahi would just take him hard and fast and reckless. But knowing Asahi as he did, Noya doubted it was a thing that would ever happen.

Still though, he could try.

Asahi did grow frustrated by Noya's teasing, or at least it seemed he did. Just as Noya was considering taking matters into his own hands, as he usually did, Asahi lifted him out of the water and set him on the stones lining the edge of the tub.

"Hey, what--" Noya cut himself off abruptly as Asahi used his elbow to knock Noya's legs open before sinking down inside the tub, hands still on Noya's hips as he eyed Noya's obvious interest hungrily.

"May I?" Asahi asked, already leaning in close.

Noya swallowed. This was exactly why he didn't believe Asahi would ever be capable of taking him fast and hard as he dreamed: Asahi had to ask permission for every little thing. As if anyone ever turned down a blowjob!

"Yeah, but, the water," Noya said lamely. The water was from the hot springs and smelled heavy with minerals. Not that Noya would care, but if Asahi did, he didn't want to feel like he had to.

"I don't mind," Asahi whispered, dropping low to press a kiss against Noya's stomach.

Noya's heart fluttered in his chest as Asahi worked his way lower, licking and kissing a trail to the base of Noya's cock. One solid lick from the base to the crown shattered Noya's control, his fingers digging into Asahi's shoulders to try and urge him on.

"Let me hear you, Yuu," Asahi said, his breath tickling the wet head of Noya's cock.

What started as a low moan grew to an echoing cry as Asahi swallowed Noya down whole, taking him even as his hips bucked and his nails dug into Asahi's skin. The hands on his hips kept him from thrusting too hard, but still. He could feel Asahi's tongue circling the head, teeth just brushing the base, pressure alternating between barely there and almost too much. Noya's back arched as he screamed, hands coming up to thread through Asahi's hair, nails digging into his scalp as he urged the pace up and up and up. His head rolled back and his toes curled beneath the water, cries continuing to ring from his throat as Asahi's throat worked around his length. When he felt it coming, he tried loosening his grip on Asahi's hair, but he only succeeded in pulling it out of its bun. Noya came with a shuddering cry, thighs trembling on either side of Asahi's face.

Asahi leaned back when Noya's body finally shook loose. He tugged Noya back into the water again, smiling dreamily. Noya hissed at the heat of the water, then launched himself at Asahi, throwing him back against the far side of the tub, catching his mouth in a deep, sucking kiss. Asahi sometimes tried to avoid kissing after a blowjob, but to Noya it was a game: trying to find his own flavor on Asahi's tongue.

While devouring Asahi's mouth, Noya's hands searched beneath the water. If Asahi wasn't going to take him, then Noya was just going to have to take it himself.

Except.

Noya broke the kiss with a surprised pop, his hands still groping for something beneath the water that he couldn't find. Well, it was _there_ , it just wasn't **there**.

When Asahi's face bloomed with color, Noya was sure it was embarrassment and not the heat. "I, um..."

"Already?" Noya asked, more shocked than anything.

"I always thought I could finish just from the noises you make," Asahi admitted, blushing even more deeply. "Sorry, Noya."

"I mean, I'm not mad, I just. Wow. I guess it has been awhile, but still."

Asahi looked away, clearly embarrassed. "We should wash up. Our hour is probably almost over."

Noya sighed and pushed away from Asahi, reaching over the edge of the tub for a sponge. "So, like, is bath sex your kink or are you just fired up because it's your birthday or what's going on?"

Asahi sputtered, losing his grip on his own sponge. "I just...I'm happy. To be here with you."

"Is that all?" Noya pressed.

"Isn't that enough?"

Noya supposed it was, but he still thought Asahi might have a bath kink. One day he'd have to figure out if it extended into a shower kink, but the only times they'd been able to shower together (privately, not in a locker room) they were both already too worn out to try anything kinky. It was still surprising that Asahi had managed to come untouched under the water--just how loud had Noya been, anyway? The onsen seemed fairly empty, so hopefully he hadn't disturbed anyone.

After he finished washing, Noya looked up to find Asahi staring at him with a dopey look on his face.

"What?" Noya asked.

"Your hair," Asahi replied, smiling softly. "The water and the steam made it fall."

"Oh." Noya reached a hand up to feel his hair. Just as Asahi said, it was limp, almost completely devoid of gel. "Eh. I can fix it when we get to the room."

"Could you--" Asahi bit his lip, but before Noya could demand that he just come out say whatever it was, Asahi steeled himself and said: "Would you mind just leaving it down? I like seeing it like that."

"Oh, yeah. I can do that." Noya shrugged. "It'd probably just fall again if we went to outdoor baths later, anyway." He grinned wickedly. "And it's easier to fix this way if you go messing it up."

Asahi laughed, pushing his own hair back behind his ears. The elastic band Noya had pulled lose earlier was lost somewhere in the murky mineral water and the ends of Asahi's hair hung lank and wet. To Noya's utter delight, Asahi's hair curled as it stuck to his neck and back until it was scrubbed away with a towel. They dressed in the onsen's robes again, stepped into slippers, then returned to their room.

"Ah, that was perfect!" Noya announced, flopping onto the bed. "I don't know why I didn't think to arrange that ahead of time."

Oh yeah, he realized. Cost.

Oh well, he'd figure it out. It was Asahi's birthday, after all.

The bed sagged as Asahi sat down on it, holding a menu left open on the kotatsu. "You said there's a dinner?"

"Yeah." Noya rolled over next to Asahi to peer at the menu. "We call in the order and they serve it here inside the room. Is the kotatsu warm already?"

"I just turned it on," Asahi replied.

"Alright. Why not order while it's heating up?"

Asahi curled up next to Noya on the bed, propping up the menu against the headboard so they could both read it. The food was very traditional, but still elegantly beautiful. Just for New Year’s Eve, the onsen was offering soba noodles, and even though neither of them ordered it, Noya still felt like it was faintly blasphemous not to.

"Hey, Asahi," Noya said after they called in their order. "Is this kind of what you want every year? Like, not even acknowledging it’s the new year?"

"No, not every year," Asahi admitted. "But I wouldn't mind doing this again next year. With you." Asahi snuggled down next to Noya, peeking at him over a crumpled pillow, eyes crinkled with a smile. "How did you come up with this idea? Did Suga help you?"

"Tch. Suga was no help at all. Daichi, too." Noya rolled onto his back and wriggled until he was pressed against Asahi. "Kiyoko-san helped a little. At least, she's the one who suggested going on a trip. I picked the resort." The bed shifted and Noya felt Asahi's hand resting on his abdomen, slipping in through the fold of his robe. "Actually, I was really worried you might hate this."

"Hate this?" Asahi propped himself up on an elbow, brows furrowed as he peered down at Noya. "I could never hate anything you planned for my birthday. I would have loved anything, as long as I got to spend it with you."

"Yeah, but just because you would have gone along with anything doesn't mean anything would have been special," Noya rationalized. "And, you know, you made my birthday perfect, so I really wanted to make this perfect, too."

Asahi's smile was warm and shy. He leaned over Noya and kissed him gently. "This is perfect. Thank you for planning it, Yuu."

"Yeah, well, I'm enjoying the hell out of it, too," Noya admitted with a wicked grin. "It's not all just for you."

Asahi laughed and flopped back down to the bed, pulling Noya close beside him. They spent long minutes just kissing and touching, lounging in the bed as if they had all the time in the world. Normally too much kissing got on Noya's nerves--he always wanted to jump right to the main event!--but he was feeling sleepy and sated and warm and loved, and they really did have all the time in the world.

Or, at least all night. And that was a rarity.

When they finally got to a bit of dry humping, hands tangled in each other's hair, tongues down each other's throats, there came a knock at the door and they hastily untangled themselves. Asahi was blushing furiously, so Noya went to the door. It was their dinner, of course. They sat down at the kotatsu, now delightfully warm, and waited as bowls of steaming food were set down for them. Everything looked so enticing, Noya didn't know where to start.

"Too bad we couldn't order a beer," Noya laughed after the server left. "I bet that's great after a long soak."

Asahi frowned. "We're too young, Noya."

"I know, I know." He waved his chopsticks impatiently before digging in. "You look old enough though, you know. I bet you could order a drink at a bar and no one would even check your ID."

Asahi tripped over a denial as he shook his head. Noya laughed.

"On second thought, probably not. You wouldn't even get the words out to order a drink."

Asahi chuckled. They ate in silence for a moment, then Asahi looked up, a tiny crease between his eyes.

Uh oh, Noya thought. Asahi's serious face.

"Do you think about the future?" Asahi asked, trying so hard to sound lightly curious that it came out heavily serious.

"You mean like how you'll be graduating in a few months?" Noya asked, voice dry. "No, I never think about that. Not even a little."

Asahi toyed with his food for a moment before looking up with an almost wounded expression. "Should we talk about it?"

Noya shrugged, his mouth deliberately over-full. No, he didn't want to talk about it. He knew they probably should--knew everything would soon be changing whether they talked about it or not--but he had a feeling _the talk_ was going to be uncomfortable for the both of them, if not outright depressing. And depressed was the last thing Noya wanted to be when he was with Asahi. They were having a wonderful time and it was Asahi's birthday. Why spoil it?

Asahi reached across the table, laying his hand gently over Noya's as he reached for his bowl of rice, intending to keep his mouth too full to speak. He cringed at the gentle touch as much as he cringed at meeting Asahi's deep and concerned eyes.

"Just talking about it doesn't change anything for now," Asahi said softly. "We could just talk about our plans and what we'd like to happen and then see if our thoughts align. Nothing changes, Noya. I'll still love you, even after I graduate."

"Yeah, me too," Noya said, dropping his gaze to Asahi's hand over his. "But I hate it, you know? I hate that things have to change just when they were getting really good. I hate that you have to leave and that I still have another year of school. I don't want to think about not seeing you every day, I don't want to think about a day when you're not on the team and I don't want to think about only hearing your voice through a phone. I hate it, Asahi, and I don't want to talk about it!"

His voice had risen as he'd spoken, making the little line between Asahi's eyebrows deepen and his eyes grow big with hurt and concern. Noya's complete lack of chill made him feel ashamed of himself, but he hadn't said anything that wasn't true. He tugged his wrist free of Asahi's hand, grabbed his rice bowl and shoveled his mouth full, barely tasting anything as he chewed and swallowed. He followed his rice up with a long drink of green tea, then went back to massacring the main dish.

Asahi drew his hand back slowly, staring down at his plate without seeing it. "If it's too much for you to be alone after I graduate, then I'd understand if you'd want to see other people."

Noya coughed through a mouth full of food, feeling as he'd just received one of Ushijima's spikes straight to the chest. The pain was sudden and unexpected, sharp and burning all at once. He grabbed a napkin, eyes watering as he fought to keep from choking but it only got worse as Asahi circled around the table to help, rubbing his back and offering him a glass of water. Noya pushed Asahi's hand away, ignoring the spike of shame adding to his pain and forced himself to swallow, then crumpled his napkin and dropped it over his half-finished meal. He pushed himself to his feet, turned his back on Asahi's guilt-ridden stare, and went to the bathroom to compose himself.

I don't _want_ to see other people, Noya told himself as he splashed cool water on his face. I want to stay by Asahi's side, to keep him from getting inside his own head so much and make sure he takes care of himself. I want him with me when I figure out what I'm going to do after school. I want to go to bed with him and wake up beside him more than once a month. I want to keep playing volleyball with him, even if it's just on a local community team. I want...

But is that what he wants? a little voice in Noya's head asked. Because maybe Asahi wanted the freedom to see other people. He'd probably go to college after he graduated, where he'd meet other people who shared his interests and maybe he'd find someone who fit him better than Noya did.

A pain in his hand made him look down at his grip on the edge of the sink: Noya's knuckles stood out stark and white from his hand. He wanted to hit something, or, even better, he wanted to practice block-follows until his body was too sore for his mind to work. He wanted the bliss that total exhaustion brought but he was unlikely to find at hot springs resort. Irritated at himself and a little at Asahi, Noya slowly relaxed his grip on the sink and took deep, calming breaths. Regardless of whatever happened in the future, the last thing he wanted right now was to ruin Asahi's birthday. So he straightened his robe, brushed the bangs drooping over his forehead, and fixed his usual smile over on his face.

"Sorry, Asahi!" Noya announced on his return. "I ate too fast. My bad!"

"Noya, I--"

"Hey, I just thought that there's still time to check out the New Year’s Eve festival in town," Noya pointed out, cutting across whatever Asahi had been about to say. "We should finish up dinner and go. They've got game booths and fresh mochi and all kinds of stuff. I'll go get dressed and call a car for us, okay?"

"Ah, but, Noya--"

"If we go now, we can get back in time for a soak in the hot springs before midnight," Noya called over his shoulder. "I've got something to show you, anyway! I was gonna wait until your birthday tomorrow, but you'll appreciate it tonight. Hurry and finish eating!"

Noya slid the bedroom door shut behind him. His heart was pounding and his cheeks hurt from that fake smile. It was harder to face Asahi than he'd thought it would be. Calling a car and heading to the festival would be an additional strain on his funds for this trip, but anything was worth it to avoid talking about "seeing other people."

A brief rustle through his duffel bag turned up the traditional kimono Noya had packed. He hadn't worn it in years, since his parents had stopped insisting he wear it to festivals and other events--but luckily it still fit. It was mostly black, patterned with yellow and orange accents. He'd brought it because he thought even if Asahi wasn't a big fan of new year's traditions, he'd still enjoy taking the winter kimono off layer by layer. Or Noya could strip out of it. Either way, Noya had really only brought it so it could be taken off. He hadn't really been planning to wear it out. Still, going out was better than being trapped inside a room to "talk."

Noya was brushing his hair smooth when a gentle knock sounded at the door before it slid smoothly open.

"Noya, I just--" 

Noya turned in time to see Asahi's jaw drop, the ball of his throat bobbing as he swallowed. Noya smirked, turning fully to show off the kimono that still looked good on him despite a few years of being stuffed in the back of his closet.

"Eh, Asahi? Were you saying something?"

Asahi had to shake his head before crossing the room, gripping Noya's shoulders and lowering himself for a kiss. Noya rose up on his toes, hands gripping the edges of Asahi's onsen robe. He licked his way into Asahi's mouth as he shoved the robe back over Asahi's shoulders, running hands over the planes of Asahi's chest, tracing the midline of Asahi's abs with his thumbs, sneaking his fingers beneath Asahi's belt. _This_ was what he'd wanted from this get-away. Not serious talks about a future they couldn't avoid.

Noya finally broke the kiss when Asahi was half-naked and obviously turned on. He backed away with a knowing smirk and a tug at the lower half of Asahi's robe. "Get dressed. The car will be here soon."

"Do we really have to go out?" Asahi's voice was just the right amount of rough to send shivers running down Noya's spine. "I didn't pack a kimono."

It was tempting. Really. But there were too many hours between now and midnight and if they fell into bed this early, Noya couldn't see a way to get out of talking in the interim while they cooled down. No, it was safer to head out now, save sex and hot springs for later, when he might actually be too tired to talk about anything serious. Yeah, that was the best move here.

"We'll just go out for a little while," Noya promised. "I love festival food and this place is supposed to have some good stuff. And it's on a lake front, so the pictures looked really nice. C'mon, get dressed!"

Noya darted out of the bedroom, laughing as he dodged a playful swipe of Asahi's arm. Asahi had already cleaned up most of their dinner--sadly quite a bit of it uneaten--and set it so the onsen staff could gather it up once they left. Noya picked at the leftover food as he kept an eye out for the car to the festival. So far, this night wasn't going exactly as he'd envisioned it, but he was pretty sure he could salvage it.

Ugh, how could anyone ruin a romantic night at a hot springs, anyway?

Asahi was ready to go in only a few minutes, dressed in the same clothes he'd worn on the train earlier. He smiled softly at Noya, running his fingers through Noya's hair before they left to go meet the car awaiting them. It wasn't a long drive at all, made even shorter by the utter lack of traffic on the road. The festival, however, was as crowded as any Noya had ever been to, which was good because it kept Asahi from trying to talk to him. Instead, Asahi hovered almost protectively over him, though Noya thought it was more nerves about getting lost than actual worry about anyone trying to come between them. The festival was full of couples and families anyway, not single people on the prowl for a new year's hook-up.

They spent more time walking through the colorful booths and admiring the reflections of paper lanterns on the lake than actually eating or playing festival games. Asahi begged a picture of Noya at the lake's edge, which Noya agreed to after making Asahi swear the picture wouldn't make it back to the team or onto the internet. He thought the combination of the kimono with his hair down made him look even younger than he actually was and he had an image to protect. The highlight of the festival was the fresh mochi, which even Asahi indulged in despite his aversion to traditional new year's food.

It was hours later when Asahi finally drew Noya into the quiet shadow of a stone statue, kissed him deeply and said: "If we'd like to be back at the hot springs before midnight, we should start heading back soon."

"Mmm," Noya hummed, thrilled just to be kissing his boyfriend. The jubilant atmosphere of the festival had helped him forget all about the earlier awkwardness and all he wanted was to be alone with Asahi again. "Is that what you want? I think I heard something about fireworks at midnight if we stay here."

Asahi curled around him, his lips brushing Noya's ear as he spoke: "I want to be alone with you when you wish me happy birthday."

Noya shivered and grinned at Asahi's boldness, even if it was just a whisper in the shadows. He summoned the car to come pick them up even as he envisioned Asahi tearing the kimono off of him. The roads were even emptier at this time of night and even the staff at the resort seemed surprised to see them return before the end of the festival. Noya didn't care about any of that--all he cared about was how Asahi had snuck in little kisses on the way home, how he'd toyed with the obi on Noya's kimono, how even now Asahi wouldn't let go of Noya's hand as they rushed back to their room.

The door barely closed behind them before Noya leapt at Asahi, letting the ace catch and carry his full weight as he wrapped his arms around Asahi's shoulders, kissing him continually as he was carried into the bedroom. He didn't break the kiss until Asahi tossed him bodily onto the bed and even then, Noya only moved to be ready to take Asahi's weight on top of him--

Except.

Asahi was busy pulling off his clothes.

"Oi!" Noya called, running a hand teasingly along the length of his obi. "You get my clothes and I'll get yours. It's better that way, I promise."

Asahi laughed, soft and low. "You're right, but if we do that, I won't be able to keep my hands off you long enough to ring in the new year."

"I don't mind," Noya said with a wink. "Besides, I thought you hated all the new year's traditions."

"Only the ones I've done a hundred times," Asahi replied. "But there's one I don't want to miss and if I'm tangled up with you, I'm afraid we'll miss our kiss at midnight."

Noya considered this, then tossed it out of bounds. "If we're not kissing at midnight, it'll be because we're doing something a lot better than kissing. C'mon, Asahi, I've been waiting for you to tear this kimono off me with your teeth ever since I put it on."

Noya could see the impact of his words as Asahi shivered and, for one moment, seemed to reconsider his resolve, eyeing the kimono rucked up Noya's legs and already half-slipped off one shoulder. Noya lowered his chin and smirked salaciously, trying to lure Asahi into the bed. Asahi swallowed visibly then turned away. When he turned back, it was to toss Noya's onsen robe over his head.

"Let's ring in the new year from the outdoor bath," Asahi suggested, still undressing. "It won't be long. Then we can get back to this."

Noya groaned his disappointment loudly. He waited to see if there was any way he could tempt Asahi into abandoning his plans, but as Asahi belted his robe firmly shut, Noya resigned himself to putting the robe back on and ringing in the new year naked in a bath full of strangers. His reluctance must have shown because as he started pulling off the layers of his kimono, he found Asahi's hands overlapping his own to speed the process.

"The wait will make it better," Asahi promised, nuzzling the back of Noya's neck. "And ever since we got here, I thought the idea of ringing in the new year from the hot springs was a romantic one. Thank you for all of this, Yuu."

Well, what else could he say to that? Noya put on a smile that was real, if slightly exasperated. He loved Asahi, but sometimes he wished he were the taller of the two of them. He might have tried pinning Asahi down onto the bed and making him relent his decision to visit the baths this late. He probably could have, too--Asahi was usually pretty compliant when it came to sex.

But it was Asahi's birthday, so Noya didn't make any more objections. Asahi's soft smile as they clasped hands made him fall even more in love than he already was. How did one person get to be so perfect? It really wasn't all that fair.

The outdoor baths weren't empty, but neither were the crowded. There were only three or four other people in the men's bath, lounging against the natural rock formations around the steaming pool. Asahi and Noya left their robes in a locker with their room number on the outside of it and slipped into the water, grateful for the warmth of the water against the bite of the winter night. Beneath the water, Noya felt Asahi's arm slip around his waist and tow him to the most isolated part of the pool: a rocky outcropping beside a waterfall. Noya didn't bother trying to put any distance between himself and Asahi as they settled onto water-smoothed benches carved into the bedrock of the pool. He sat pressed right up against Asahi's side, one leg thrown over Asahi's lap and leaned back against Asahi's arm stretched along the edge of the pool. Noya let his head rock back so he could just see the stars through the pool's steam. It would be nearly pitch black out here if not for the lights outside the door to the locker room and soft lights set in the bottom of the bath.

"This is beautiful," Asahi breathed, his words nearly lost to the tumble of the thin waterfall feature.

"Yeah," Noya grinned, rolling his head to look up at Asahi. "You are."

Asahi flushed and rubbed the back of his head. "I really think we still need to talk. About the future."

Noya went stiff instantly as his mood soured. He tried to move away but found Asahi's arm wrapping around his shoulders, pinning him to his side.

"You're not going to leave me here to greet the new year alone, are you?" Asahi asked, pouting.

Noya bared his teeth. "That's cheating."

Asahi had enough grace to look ashamed of himself. "If you don't want to talk, then just listen. You've never told me what your plans are after high school, so I have no idea if you're going to college or if you're applying to the national league or if you want to just start working." A rueful huff of a chuckle. "I don't even know what type of work you'd look for after school. We spend a lot of time together, but sometimes it seems like we don't talk much."

That's because there were always more interesting things to do than talk. Even if they couldn't always find the privacy to have sex, kissing and hand-holding were still new enough to be exciting. And on the occasions where all they could do was talk, they talked about school and about the team and about volleyball in general. They talked; they just didn't talk about anything important.

"We don't have to do this now," Noya insisted, arching his back to press a kiss against Asahi's jaw, not caring who saw. "It's about to be your birthday. Let's not ruin it."

"I think the not knowing what's coming is already ruining it for me," Asahi admitted, smoothing a steam-wet curl of hair behind his ear. It was tied back in a bun, of course, but strands of it kept escaping as the heat seeped into it. "I'm not asking you to commit to anything, Noya, I'm not even going to ask you to tell me what you expect. But I wanted you to know what I plan to do, at least. Okay?"

This was it. It was about to be the beginning of the end. Where they put the definitive end-date on their relationship. Noya dug an elbow into Asahi's side until he drove a wedge of space between them, distancing himself from the pain he expected. "Fine. Just...whatever. It's fine."

Asahi looked hurt, but Noya ignored it. His gut was already churning with anxious energy and if he thought he was going to cry, he at least wanted to be able to make a speedy exit from the bath. Forget about the new year and his first new year's kiss. Right now was about minimizing pain.

Asahi let out a long, slow breath. "I'm not going to college like Suga and Diachi. I always thought I'd just help my parents in the shop, so I'll still be local after I graduate. I was thinking of maybe getting my own apartment, just to be out of the house, but...I don't know. Rent's expensive."

Noya blinked. He had _not_ been expecting to hear that. If Asahi was staying local, then why did they even have to break up?

Asahi clearly misunderstood Noya's bewildered expression, because he waved a hand almost frantically and put another inch of space between them. "Just because I'm local doesn't mean we have to stay together! I mean, we probably won't be able to see each other every day like we have been and I know you'll still have practice every day and away games and everything. So I really don't want you to feel pressured to stay in a relationship with me. You can see other people if that's what you--"

Noya had had enough. He gripped the back of Asahi's neck and yanked his head down, mashing their lips together in something that was more like a punch than a kiss. Asahi resisted at first, more in surprise than anything else, then curled broad hands around Noya's waist, lifting him beneath the water and pulling him close against his side once more. Noya half-sat, half-floated in Asahi's lap, refusing to let go of his grip even after their kiss broke.

"I don't want to see anyone else," Noya said slowly, staring aggressively into Asahi's wide eyes. "And I don't want you to start seeing anyone else. So if you're just staying local, can't we just stay together?"

"Yes," Asahi breathed, his flesh pebbling above the water. "I'd like that. But I--"

"I don't want to hear any stupid buts," Noya interrupted. "You're not pressuring me. You've never pressured me. If anything, _I'm_ the one who pressures _you_. And if this is working, then why does anything have to change?"

"It is going to change," Asahi said bluntly. "I never wanted to have to break up, but you at least deserved the option, since I won't be around as much."

"I'll be just as busy as you," Noya insisted. "With practice and camps and tournaments in Tokyo, I won't be around much, either. But that doesn't mean I don't still want to be with you."

Asahi smiled, running wet fingers through Noya's hair. "You forgot to mention homework. Your senior year is important."

"Not as important as volleyball," Noya retorted.

Asahi chuckled. "What about after you graduate, Yuu? I know it's still a year away, but have you made any plans?"

"Just loose ones." Noya shrugged. The future was always a hazy, indistinct thing. He didn't like staring at it too hard or too long. "If I get an invitation from the national league, I might try out but I won't be disappointed if I don't get one, either. But my parents are pretty insistent on the college thing, so I might find a school with a good volleyball team. Or just try and stay local, if you're still local."

Noya felt Asahi's hands move beneath the water, sliding down his back, tensing around him almost possessively. "I'll work this whole upcoming year and I'll stay at home with my parents. That way, I'll have some savings if you decide to move away. If...if you want me to come with you, I mean."

Noya grinned. "Of course I'll want you to come with me! I don't want to move away without--"

Sparks of color and light followed shortly by a loud "BOOM!" cut off Noya's words. Both Asahi and Noya looked up, jaws dropping, as the flower of a firework bloomed against the black sky. Orange-yellow comets followed, resounding cracks and pops echoing off the water and natural rock formations. Each time a firework died, it left light scars across Noya's vision and plunged the dimly lit pool into pitch darkness. The reflected light from the fireworks in the bath made it seem like he was swimming through the night sky itself, unsure as to which was up and which was down. He gripped Asahi's shoulder tightly to keep himself grounded.

A hand groped in the dark, dripping with mineral-rich water as it cupped Noya's chin and held it until a pair of lips found his. Ah, Noya realized, sinking into the kiss. It must be midnight.

The kiss wasn't long, but it was sweet and gentle and full of promise for the future. When it broke, Noya settled back against Asahi's chest and tipped his head back to watch the rest of the fireworks. He'd never seen fireworks in winter before, though he'd heard other countries made a tradition of it on new year's. It was just the festival near the lake catering to foreigners, but he chose to think of it as a personal display just for Asahi's birthday. With a warm feeling inside that said "everything is going to work out" Noya laid his head against Asahi's shoulder, curled his hands around Asahi's forearms and relaxed weightlessly, smiling as he watched the fireworks continue to burst, boom and die.

"This has been perfect, Yuu," Asahi whispered in his ear. "Thank you for all of this."

"It's not over yet, I hope," Noya replied, nuzzling his nose against the scruff on Asahi's jawline.

A soft chuckle that sent ripples through the water rocked Noya's body. The fireworks were a sudden riot of colors, layering on top of each other, frantic to outdo each other before fading from existence. They kissed again, colors singed on the backs of their eyes, thudding booms beating their hearts, and when the kiss broke, the bath was bathed in pure blackness once again. It took long, long moments for Noya's eyes to adjust to the soft lighting once more. When they finally did, Noya was still clinging to Asahi.

"We should go," Asahi suggested, eyes shining in a look that was only for Noya.

"Wait," Noya said. Between the surprise of the fireworks and the piqued feeling he was getting from staying in the hot springs too long, he knew he was forgetting something--something important--but it was niggling at the edges of his awareness and if he just relaxed for a moment, it would come to him. Asahi helped him sit on the edge of the pool and the cool air brought Noya all the way back to his sense. With a smile, he leaned back over the water to kiss Asahi one more time. "Happy birthday, Azumane Asahi."

Asahi's smile was radiant for one perfect moment, then Noya was yanked back into the pool only to be crushed up against the side of it, Asahi's lips on his. Noya laughed into the kiss, wrapping his legs around Asahi's middle and his arms around Asahi's shoulders. When Asahi finally stood, it was with Noya's weight supported in his arms, though he quickly set him down once he stepped out of the steaming pool.

"We should go. Now." Asahi punctuated each sentence with a kiss, making it difficult for Noya to agree. Luckily, it seemed as if the few people who had been at the bath originally had left soon after the fireworks finished, so they were alone. Still, it was cold outside the bath, which hurried their steps to the locker room where towels and their robes awaited them. Even as they dried off, Asahi couldn't seem to keep his hands or his mouth off of Noya, body-blocking him up against the lockers, or vigorously toweling him dry. Not that Noya was objecting--much. He found the blatant amorous attention exciting, but he was more than eager to get back to their hotel room.

Once they were dry enough, Noya took Asahi's hand and towed him along to the room, grinning back over his shoulder as Asahi trotted to keep up. Their room was warm and dark and they didn't waste time with light switches. Noya ripped Asahi's robe's belt free just as Asahi was shoving Noya's robe off his shoulders. Before either of them were fully nude, Asahi lifted Noya in his arms and carried him to the bed, dropping him on his back, then covering him with his body. Noya reveled in the feel of fingers massaging the back of his neck, kisses on his collarbone, the weight of his boyfriend settling between his legs. He wrapped his legs around Asahi's middle, tugged the messy bun free from its hair tie and buried his fingers in long, curling hair. His hips bucked and a strangled gasp escaped his throat as Asahi rolled a nipple between his teeth. He endured a few moments more of teasing, then shifted his weight and wrapped one ankle behind Asahi's knee, intending to flip them over so he could ride on top, as usual.

Instead, Noya felt Asahi's weight pitch against him, his boyfriend still solidly on top of him. Asahi stopped his teasing to look up at Noya, eyes dark and wide and needy.

"Do you mind if I stay on top this time, Yuu?"

He'd expected this. He'd even prepared for it. It was Asahi's birthday, and of course Noya would do anything for him. He just hated being on his back for sex. The one time they had tried it, Noya had gotten frustrated with Asahi's pace and made him stop so he could climb on top to finish. It was just that he had no control on his back--even when he was on his hands and knees he had some control. Asahi just liked to take his time, as if Noya were a dish he wanted to savor, instead of bolting for the finish to get to seconds, the way Noya preferred.

"Please, Yuu?"

"Yeah," Noya said, trying not to sound resigned. He'd do anything for Asahi. Especially on his birthday. "But hurry up, okay? I'm dying for it."

"Me too," Asahi whispered, pressing one last kiss to the side of Noya's neck. The bed creaked as Asahi's weight pushed off it. Noya sat up on his elbows as he stripped away the rest of his robe. When Asahi returned, he laid down beside Noya, finding his hand in the darkness to press a square foil into his palm, then kissed his lips before popping open the lube. Noya leaned back, hooking one leg around Asahi's hips as he relaxed, pressing down the instant he felt Asahi's fingers at his entrance. He'd been waiting this entire trip for this--no way was he hesitating now.

Asahi didn't tease too much, just circled the rim once, then eased inside, massaging the lube deeper with his fingers. He pressed kisses to the side of Noya's face, his jaw his neck and would have kissed his lips if Noya weren't too busy adjusting and grinding back on Asahi's fingers. Noya gasped as he found the right angle, groaned as he rocked back against it. Asahi worked at it a while longer before slowly withdrawing his fingers, making Noya groan in disappointment.

"Just a minute," Asahi chided gently, searching through the rumpled blankets for the condom he'd handed Noya earlier.

"Been waiting long enough," Noya panted, already tearing the foil with his teeth. He shimmied down the bed, tracing the lines of Asahi's chest and stomach until he found what he was after. He took a moment to stroke Asahi's length from base to tip, loving every soft moan and gentle thrust, before rolling the condom down from the tip to root. Once in place, Asahi moved Noya back to the middle of the bed, lowered his body to rest on his elbows, then kissed Noya once more, fingers dragging back through his hair.

"I love you," Asahi whispered.

"I love you too," Noya replied, arching his back to bring their bodies into contact. "But I'd love you even more if you hurried up."

Asahi laughed, then pushed himself up to sit between Noya's legs. His hands traced the hard muscles of Noya's chest, ribs and stomach before tenderly running up and down the length of Noya's cock.

Noya groaned. "I swear to God, Asahi, if you don't hurry up--" He didn't finish the thought. He really didn't have a threat to follow up with, anyway.

Asahi lifted one of Noya's ankles, leaning it against his chest as he leaned forward. Noya wrapped the other leg around Asahi's waist, trying to urge him on faster. He still gasped when he felt Asahi's heat line up with his prepared entrance. He tried to move to take it, but Asahi held perfectly still.

"You'll tell me if I hurt you?" Asahi asked, infuriatingly loving.

"Yes!" Noya shouted. "Not that you would, even if you could. I'm fine, could you just--"

Noya broke off with a scream, back arching, hands twisting in the sheets, as Asahi entered him, not quickly, but suddenly and steadily, pulling back on Noya's hips as he pressed forward, leaning over Noya carefully so as not to over-stretch the libero's leg against his shoulder. He fell still there, panting and waiting, until Noya adjusted to the pressure. He stayed still even after Noya attempted to rock against his body, but couldn't get the leverage to make Asahi move. He clawed at Asahi's arms, writhed on his back, hating the fact that he couldn't set the pace from here. All he wanted was for Asahi to fucking move!

"Yuu--"

"Asahi, please!" Noya just about screamed.

He swore he saw the flash of a smile against the darkness. Then, blessedly, Asahi began to move. Shudders wracked Noya's body as the almost-too-big length drew out only to thrust back in, slowly, steadily. When Asahi's member was fully sheathed, Noya could rock back against him just once before it was pulling back out again. He shivered and moaned, heel digging into Asahi's back, trying to hurry the pace, but the ace wouldn't be moved. Noya could have set a clock by the slow, steady drags. He tried reminding himself that it was Asahi's birthday, but it didn't really help the need raging inside of him.

"You're beautiful, Yuu," Asahi whispered, one hand on Noya's hip, holding him still as he drew slowly back. "This has been such an amazing birthday. You have no idea how grateful I am."

Noya opened his mouth to say something along the lines of "If you're grateful, then speed up!" but just then Asahi lost a bit of his control and his hips snapped in, earning a ringing cry from Noya's throat.

"I love the sounds you make," Asahi murmured, mouth inches away from Noya's skin. "I could listen to them all night."

Good, because I think this one session might just take all night, Noya thought, but couldn't verbalize. When he rode on top, he could just about control the volume of his voice--at least, up until Asahi grabbed his hips and thrust up into him, then he lost all semblance of control. But with Asahi setting the pace and the rhythm, Noya surrendered control over his vocalizations; it didn't even seem worth it to try. Asahi was doing his best to wring every single sound possible out of Noya tonight.

Not that I mind, Noya thought, a groan breaking into pieces over several shallow, hard thrusts. If it made Asahi happy, that was all Noya really wanted. Logically. His body wanted something else entirely, but since Noya usually got his own way in bed, he knew it was better to let Asahi have this one--no matter how slowly he wanted to go or how long he wanted to take.

Noya gasped, his toes curling, as Asahi pressed all the way in, then rotated his hips in a slow circle. He began breaking up his thrusts that way: Slow in, rotate, slow out, repeat. Noya's hips bucked helplessly against the rolling thrust, wordless cries falling from his lips. He could hear Asahi talking softly, saying words like "beautiful" and "perfect" and "love" but he couldn't respond to a single one of them. A high-pitched whine was issuing from his throat and there was little he could do to stop it. Anything he could have verbalized would have been a command to hurry up and he doubted Asahi would have found that at all romantic or loving.

Then the worst thing possible happened: Asahi fell completely and totally still. His hands were still at Noya's waist, holding him down, Noya's leg stretched to its limit against Asahi's body, Asahi's length fully sheathed inside of Noya's heat. But he wasn't moving. Noya shuddered, struggled to breathe, tried to buck, but Asahi's hands held him still. Struggling for even an ounce of control over himself, Noya forced his eyes open to look up at Asahi leaning over him. The big ace was breathing shallowly, loose strands of curling hair draped around his face like a curtain, eyes soft, smile softer.

"You make me want to lose control, Yuu," Asahi said, voice whisper-soft.

"Then do it," Noya begged. He dreamed of Asahi losing control; he yearned for it. Noya wasn't fragile; Asahi couldn't break him. Having sex quickly or slowly didn't change the emotions attached to it. They trusted each other and that was all they needed.

Still, Asahi hesitated. "I'm afraid I'll hurt you."

"You think I couldn't stop you if you did?" Noya challenged. "I return harder spikes than yours, Asahi, I can take it."

Asahi's face was a mixture of embarrassment and pride. He detached one hand from Noya's hip to brush some hair behind Noya's ear, leaning low to press a kiss to Noya's lips. "Promise you'll stop me if it's too much?"

"I promise," Noya groaned, once again attempting to thrust back against Asahi. The angle was terrible, his leg was screaming. It was a relief when Asahi settled back on his knees, one hand on Noya's hip, the other on Noya's shoulder. Asahi looked beautiful in the dim light from the window, shadows in the valleys of his muscles, head shaking to toss his hair behind him, eyes dark, mouth wet and plush. Fuck, but Noya loved him. Every bit of him.

Every inch.

Every thrust.

Even though Asahi was still moving just as slowly as before, giving Noya none of the satisfaction he craved. When Asahi added in the hip rotation again, Noya screamed as much in frustration as pleasure--where was that loss of control Asahi had just confessed to?? But at his scream, Asahi's hips stuttered almost violently, Asahi's breath catching loudly and on the exhale, Noya almost thought he heard the hiss of a curse word. Before he had time to consider whether he'd heard what he thought he'd heard, Asahi's hips broke their steady rhythm, instead breaking into staggered, uneven thrusts that drew sharp and varied cries from Noya. Another breath vaguely reminiscent of a swear word and Asahi's hands slid from Noya's hips to the tops of his thighs as Asahi rose up from sitting on his heels. Using only brute strength, Asahi jerked Noya into his thrusts, breathing ragged, pulling Noya's body down over and over onto him, again and again. It was brutal, carnal, even frantic and Noya couldn't have stopped screaming if he tried. He clawed at the blankets, eyes rolled back in his head, toes curling so tightly the soles of his feet arched painfully; Asahi's loss of control was exquisite and though Noya would have hated to admit it out loud, he doubted he could have stopped Asahi if he wanted to.

Thankfully, there wasn't a single part of him that wanted this to end.

Only Noya's shoulders supported his weight on the bed, the rest of his weight was in Asahi's grip, Asahi's control. Noya could barely make out the features of Asahi's face through his eyelashes: Eyes tightly shut, mouth open and panting, the cords of his throat standing out stark against his skin, tendrils of hair stuck to his neck with sweat. The muscles of his chest, shoulders and arms bulged as they worked to pull Noya down mercilessly, endlessly, wonderously. Despite everything, Asahi still wasn't hurting Noya--not much, anyway. There would be a little pain later, but nothing Noya couldn't handle. Nothing that wasn't worth the glory of this moment.

For as fast a pace as Asahi set, for all the sweat running down Asahi's chest, for all of Noya's screams and for all the frantic slapping sounds that filled the room, they both lasted a longer time than Noya had thought they would. Even so, it felt too soon when Noya felt the pressure building in his balls, the tremble of his thighs, the coiling in the pit of his stomach that told him it would be ending soon. He choked on a scream, trying to get Asahi to realize he needed to be touched. Instead, he coughed, gasped and screamed again, unable to break Asahi's focus. He tried to let go of the sheets to take care of it himself, but when he let go, the force of Asahi's thrusts nearly threw him off the bed, of he grabbed on again. It wasn't just heat and pressure building in him now, but a touch of pain, too. He needed his release soon, needed the dam to burst, needed the wave to break. It was too much, too much, too--

It broke all too suddenly and without warning, every muscle in Noya's body tensing to the point of breaking all at once. A soundless scream stretched his jaw to the breaking point, his head pressed back into the bed as far as it could go, his muscles contracting painfully around Asahi's girth, earning a grunt from the ace like a punch to the gut. Noya came so hard, he felt it splash against the underside of his chin, with the next two streaks landing somewhere on his chest, weakening progressively until he felt it leaking and pooling just north of his groin. Fireworks burst on the backs of his eyelids, orange and green and gold fading into utter blackness as Noya's body slowly uncoiled. Everything came loose and undone before he realized that Asahi had fallen still. Fingers still dug painfully tight into his thighs, though, and when he opened his eyes he saw Asahi breathing hard as he held Noya to himself, shivering as he spent himself into the condom between them.

We probably don't need that, Noya thought distantly, dizzy from screaming for so long, from coming so hard. But at least it saves us a little clean-up.

He couldn't imagine trying to stand right now. Every nerve felt exposed and raw, hyper-sensitive to both pain and pleasure. Even Asahi's puffs of breath on his skin felt too much just now. Noya was sure Asahi's fingertips were going to leave bruises in his thighs, but the thought only made him smile. He could only imagine Asahi's stammered apology in the morning when he saw them. Asahi's eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first, then locking onto Noya's, giving voice to Asahi's questioning concern.

Noya grinned, long and slow. "That was amazing, Asahi. Best sex ever."

Asahi gasped a laugh, his grip on Noya's thighs loosening. He lowered Noya's hips back to the bed, grimacing at the mess he found within the condom. He gripped himself at the base to keep it from coming off as he softened, leaning over the bed to kiss Noya gently on the lips. "Every time is the best with you, Yuu."

Noya smiled, but felt too exhausted to reply. The bed groaned, then lifted as Asahi pushed off of it, standing to go to the little bathroom to clean up. Noya nearly drifted off to sleep by the time he felt a warm, damp washcloth against his neck.

"Did I hurt you?" Asahi asked, gently cleaning the streaks of cum from Noya's skin.

"Nah," Noya said in an exhale. "Was perfect. Like you."

If Asahi blushed, Noya didn't see it. The only sound in the dark was of cloth scraping skin, wiping away the mess Noya had made. Coming untouched had been a first for Noya; he'd have to file that one away. He'd also have to consider whether the frustration of Asahi's slow pace had been worth the eventual loss of control, but that was for future-Noya to figure out. Present-Noya's only concern was staying awake long enough to fall asleep in Asahi's arms.

It felt like hours before Asahi finally stood up from the bed again to return the washcloth to the bathroom. Noya was half-asleep when he returned, curling into the bed beside him, pressing kisses into his sweat-damp hair.

"Do you know the best part about all of this, Yuu?" Asahi whispered.

"Mmm." Noya struggled to string words together. "There was something better than the mind-blowing sex?"

Asahi's chuckle sent a rumble through his chest that Noya felt more than heard. "Yes. To me, anyway. I was afraid this was the only birthday I'd get to spend with you. I've been afraid of graduating, afraid that it would mean the end of us. The best part of this whole trip was finding out you don't want to break up after I graduate."

Noya hummed sleepily, turning his face to rub his nose in Asahi's chest hair. "You're right. That is the best part."

"Yuu?"

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you not to fight with me tomorrow when I help you pay for all of this?"

"It's already paid for," Noya muttered sleepily. "'Cept, like, the private bath."

Noya felt a kiss against the crown of his head. "Then I'll cover that and find another way to pay you back for all of this."

"But that's easy," Noya said with a yawn.

"Oh?" Asahi asked. "Is there something you want?"

"Just promise we'll be together next year for my birthday," Noya replied. "That's all I want."

A final soft chuckle. "I think I can manage that."

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure if I'll write anymore Asanoya after this. As of right now, I don't have any great ideas for this pairing. But if you're interested in my other works, please subscribe or follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ShiroKabocha1).


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